MSConfig
Other namesSystem Configuration
Microsoft System Configuration Utility
Developer(s)Microsoft
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows
TypeSystem utility

MSConfig (officially called System Configuration in Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, or Windows 11 and Microsoft System Configuration Utility in previous operating systems) is a system utility to troubleshoot the Microsoft Windows startup process. It can disable or re-enable software, device drivers and Windows services that run at startup, or change boot parameters.

It is bundled with all versions of Microsoft Windows operating systems since Windows 98 except Windows 2000. Windows 95 and Windows 2000 users can download the utility as well, although it was not designed for them.[1]

Uses

MSConfig is often used for speeding up the Microsoft Windows startup process of the machine. According to Microsoft,[2] MSConfig was not meant to be used as a startup management program.

Features

This section may contain unverified or indiscriminate information in embedded lists. Please help clean up the lists by removing items or incorporating them into the text of the article. (April 2011)

MSConfig is a troubleshooting tool which is used to temporarily disable or re-enable software, device drivers or Windows services that run during startup process to help the user determine the cause of a problem with Windows.

Some of its functionality varies by Windows versions:[3]

References

  1. ^ "Microsoft System Configuration Utility (MSConfig)". Technopedia. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  2. ^ "Using System Configuration (MSConfig)". Windows. Microsoft. August 27, 2012. Archived from the original on December 15, 2013. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  3. ^ Larsen, Larry; Richards, Andrew; Beeder, Chad (August 27, 2012). "Defrag Tools: #5 - Autoruns and MSConfig". Channel9. Microsoft. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  4. ^ "The 906569 update adds the Tools tab to the System Configuration utility in Windows XP Service Pack 2". Support. Microsoft. June 1, 2006. Archived from the original on March 9, 2015.

Further reading

  1. "System Configuration Utility overview". Windows XP Professional Product Documentation. Microsoft. Archived from the original on 19 June 2006. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  2. "Using System Configuration". Windows. Microsoft. Archived from the original on 13 October 2009. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  3. "How to troubleshoot configuration errors by using the System Configuration utility in Windows". Support (4.1 ed.). Microsoft. 26 November 2007. Archived from the original on 17 January 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
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